Monday, March 23, 2009

The Devlin Diary-Christi Phillips

The Devlin Diary
Christi Phillips
Pocket, May 2009, $25.00
ISBN: 9781416527398

In 2008 historian Clare Donovan is exhilarated with attaining her goal; albeit even if the assignment is temporary. She is a history lecturer at Trinity College in Cambridge. Clare plans to enjoy every moment at least in the classroom; as she finds academia filled with backstabbers who make Parliament debates look like preschool squabbles.

The professors react differently with the news that charismatic Professor Derek Goodman was murdered while grasping in a death grip a page from the encrypted diary of seventeenth century physician Hannah Devlin. As they did with their search for THE ROSSETTI LETTER, Clare and Andrew Kent investigates the death of Goodman only as it connects to the more intriguing baffling death of Princess Henriette-Anne, sister to King Charles II and sister-in-law to King Louis XIV.

Although the overall premise is similar to that of THE ROSSETTI LETTER, the second Donovan-Kent dual investigation is a fresh tale that combines a modern day whodunit with a seventeenth century romantic royal mystery. The two subplots are deep especially the look at the times of Princess Henriette-Anne. Fans will relish the delightful DEVLIN DIARY while wondering what twofold mystery next will send Clare on the cases.

Harriet Klausner

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